The Puffer Forum

I've been shocked. Today I came home, and my red spot puffer was lying upside down, with his belly up.
I immideately got him out of the tank in a quarentine aquarium, filled with water of my other aquarium.
His aquarium has the following parameters:
KH: 5
GH: 11
PH: 8
Nitrite: -
Temp: 28 degrees

He's now in an aquarium with a O2 pump, and he directly went to the bubbles and stays there.

I've noticed some tiny little white worms in his aquarium.

Please help, I don't want to lose my little fellow

I''ve did a water change about 4 days ago, and change water every week. I've feed him 2 days ago and he eated brine shrimps

Have you tested for ammonia , nitrite and nitrate?

I don't have nitrate or amonia test.
But the nitrite is zero

Since he's in the quarantine aquarium, he's collor went from nearly black till greenish again, and he looks a bit more lifely (he is swimming aroun d a bit)

Can you provide a little more info


http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=5

He's located in a 10 gallon aquarium
I have him for about 4 months,. Before he came in the aquarium has run with a shrimp in it for about 3 weeks.
I feed him every other day. He's on a diet with mussles cockels, shrimps and some times some bloodworms.
The water parameters:
KH: 5
GH: 11
PH: 8
Temp: 28
Nitrite:0

There are only some Elodea canadensis (sorry don't know the english name) for the rest all plants are plastic.
The last changes I've made in his aquarium are about a month ago, when I took all the dying life plants out and repllace them for plastic ones

How long and how was the tank cycled?

She said:

Before he came in the aquarium has run with a shrimp in it for about 3 weeks.

But if the puffer has been ok for the past 4 monthe, it might be cycled by now.

Frieda, you need to find out what the ammonia & nitrAtes are. Can you bring in a water sample to the aquarium shop? How much water do you change? the fact that the puffer is feeling better in another tank, means there is something wrong with the water in his tank.

I'm wondering if the temp was a bit high in his old tank, as you mentioned he's hanging around near bubbles...is he near the water surface?
Also, the little white worms are a sign of poor water quality..you should test the water straight from your tap..as those worms are a sign that the water is full of too many organic compounds.
I'm willing to bet your nitrAtes are high, and there may be an issue with the water not having enough oxygen in it.
Pami.

I doubt that running a tank with a shrimp for 3 weeks will cycle a tank enough to handle the bioload of a puffer thats fed everyday. The cycle may well be complete now, but at what detriment to the puffer?

Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I was very busy. The puffer is doing fine again. I have tested my water at the aquarium shop. The waterparameters were ok, the problem was a low oxygenlevel.
Because the last days it was very hot I left out the lights, I did'n't had many live plants, so the few I have probable took, when the lights were out, also oxigen.
I got some more plants and an airpomp to keep the oxygen level higher.

Could you please post your water parameters anyway? Ok to a LFS may not really be ok for a puffer.

If you do not already own your own test kit, now would good time to make the purchase. You should minimally have test kits for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Make sure that whatever kits you purchase are designed for use with saltwater.